Volunteer

ABOUT VOLUNTEERING

If you live in the Gainesville or Tampa area and want to help out and be a part of THE FEST 13 or PRE-FEST 2, here is your chance. THE FEST is looking for kick ass, friendly and serious volunteers. Volunteers are always needed to help run Fest. We offer a free pass to anyone who works a shift the weekend of. You will also get a SPECIAL FEST SHIRT for the event you work. This is a design that no one else can buy. A shift runs about 8-10 hours and is anything from working registration, the door, helping bands load equipment, stage/barricade security to being a rock star stage manager.

VOLUNTEER MEETING DATES

YBOR

*Pre-Fest Volunteer spots are full. We do have a wait-list. Email volunteer@thefestfl.com for more information.

JOB DESCRIPTIONS

STAGE MANAGER

Stage Manager is a position where you are in charge of the stage, the bands and the volunteers for the day. This is a position for someone who is not shy and has no problem running a team. You do not need experience to do this job, but you do need the confidence to pull it off. You will mainly be in charge of keeping the bands on time and organizing their load in and load out with the help of loaders. You will also be our representative of FEST with the venue we are using. You will have (2) door volunteers and (2) stage hands to help the bands load in and out. You will not be left high and dry though. You will have a FEST HEAD REP that will be there at the start of your shift to show you the ropes and to check on you throughout the day. It is a bit more of a challenge, but the folks who have done it have truly enjoyed their shifts and have come back year after year to do it again at FEST!

-HOURS: Longer hours. 7- 10 hours usually.

-WHAT YOU GET: STAGE MANAGERS get (2) passes to the FEST they are working, or (1) pass to PRE-FEST and (1) pass to FEST. You can do whatever you wish with your bonus pass. Limited Edition SHIRT for the FEST your are working. These are only for volunteers and DO NOT SAY VOLUNTEER on them so you can wear them the rest of your life without feeling like a big dork.

STAGE MANAGER ASSISTANT

Think the Stage Manager position sounds interesting but just not ready to dive in yet this year? Well, this is pretty much what it sounds like. For the larger venues we give our stage managers an assistant and these stage managers will be very well seasoned with year’s of stage managing under their fanny packs. You will pretty much do whatever they need you to do, but you will also learn a ton and use that to run your own stage next year we hope.

-HOURS: 7 hours minimum shift

-WHAT YOU GET: (1) pass to the FEST they are working. Limited Edition SHIRT for the FEST your are working. These are only for volunteers and DO NOT say VOLUNTEER on them so you can wear them the rest of your life without feeling like a big dork.

STAGE HAND

You will be at the command of the Stage Manager. You will be helping the bands load on and off stage. Since we only have 20 minute change overs, it is crucial that you swoop in with the quickness and help the bands out. You do not need to be the biggest bull in the yard but you have to be able to help someone else move a guitar cab and carry drum gear. You will also sometimes help the stage manger with stage control. Keeping people on the side of the stage back behind the viewing line or in smaller venues just helping the stage manager make sure the kids don’t take over the stage. You will also help the stage manger grab waters, towels, etc. Fun job for sure since you are right on stage helping some of your favorite bands get to play the best shows of their lives.

-HOURS: 7 hours minimum shift

-WHAT YOU GET: (1) pass to the FEST they are working. Limited Edition SHIRT for the FEST your are working. These are only for volunteers and DO NOT SAY VOLUNTEER on them so you can wear them the rest of your life without feeling like a big dork.

DOOR

You will be working the door. The stage manager will show you most of the ropes and check on you throughout the night. We do these shifts in pairs of two. Your main job is to be alert and check to make sure people are wearing FEST wristbands. If we have a WALK UP DOOR COVER then you will be taking the money as well and issuing paper wristbands for that show. The VENUE WILL CHECK IDs. You will never have to do that. If there is someone being a jerk all you have to do is be patient and let the venue staff know. It is that venue bouncer at your side’s job to deal with the jerk faces.

-HOURS: around 7 hours

-WHAT YOU GET: (1) pass to the FEST they are working. Limited Edition SHIRT for the FEST your are working. These are only for volunteers and DO NOT say VOLUNTEER on them so you can wear them the rest of your life without feeling like a big dork.

BARRICADE SECURITY

Remember that time you crowd surfed and ended up behind the barricade and some guy with a headset and gloves tossed you to the ground? Well, we don’t like that so when we started to have to use barricades for some shows we started asking folks if they wanted to volunteer their shift to me part of the solution and not the problem. You need to be on the bigger side of life but you don’t have to me a man to do this. We have had some kick ass women volunteer for this shift as well. We also will have a FEST Security Veteran of many years there with you in the trenches to help guide you. GOALS: BE SAFE, BE FRIENDLY, BE SAFE. You see in FEST video highlights our security always smiling and stoked to be helping the bands and the fans. We have even seen crowd surfers land in the arms of our barricade team only to give them big hugs once they are safely on their feet and grounded.

-HOURS: 5 hour shift for the most part. We want it to be shorter this year because it is hard work. However you get a 20 minute break after each band. Also, if you sign up for the first shift of the day it might be an hour or two longer because your first hour or two of work will be getting trained and waiting for the doors/ first band to start.

-WHAT YOU GET: (1) pass to the FEST they are working. Limited Edition SHIRT for the FEST your are working. These are only for volunteers and DO NOT SAY VOLUNTEER on them so you can wear them the rest of your life without feeling like a big dork.

STAGE SECURITY

This job is similar to Barricade Security (see above) in the sense that you will be making sure that folks that do crowd surf or try stage diving will land on the stage without getting hurt. You may also be asked by the stage manager to simply stand on one side of the stage to not allow folks up onto the stage or have them just stay behind a line they have made on the stage.

-HOURS: 5 hour shift for the most part. We want it to be shorter this year because it is hard work. However you get a 20 minute break after each band. Also, if you sign up for the first shift of the day it might be an hour or two longer because your first hour or two of work will be getting trained and waiting for the doors/ first band to start.

-WHAT YOU GET: (1) pass to the FEST they are working. Limited Edition SHIRT for the FEST your are working. These are only for volunteers and DO NOT SAY VOLUNTEER on them so you can wear them the rest of your life without feeling like a big dork.

REGISTRATION

This is the most coveted shift of FEST because you get to work it early then have the rest of your time to see the bands. These shifts are way longer but you are also sitting on your but in a chair checking people in on a computer. Most of the shifts require you to have a laptop that can pick up wireless. If you do not have a laptop you can help people checking in by grabbing merch attendees have ordered or grabbing the volunteers shirts.

-HOURS: 10 hour shift

-WHAT YOU GET: (1) pass to the FEST they are working. Limited Edition SHIRT for the FEST your are working. These are only for volunteers and DO NOT SAY VOLUNTEER on them so you can wear them the rest of your life without feeling like a big dork.

EARLY/LATE SOUND LOADER/ SET UP

This is loading in or out the rented sound gear for our bigger stages or setting up everything we will need for the Bo Diddley Plaza in Gainesville. You will need gloves and be able to lift some big speakers, fences, setting up tents, tables, all sorts of stuff. This will be a team job so you will have the help of others. Lots of winding cables, filling sandbags for the fences and all sorts of stuff so be ready to get dirty.

-HOURS: These shifts are very limited in numbers so get in early to sign up if you can. Hours are as long as it takes you and your team to get the job done but shorter than a normal volunteer shift. Plus, you get your work done so you are free to see all your most desired shows.

Load In: usually starts first morning of FEST around 10am. Some jobs may have an earlier start time to get the Bo Diddley Plaza ready (GAINESVILLE ONLY).

-WHAT YOU GET: (1) pass to the FEST they are working. Limited Edition SHIRT for the FEST your are working. These are only for volunteers and DO NOT SAY VOLUNTEER on them so you can wear them the rest of your life without feeling like a big dork.